| Have you ever noticed that the more tired you are the more energy your children have? It seems that on the days when all I want to do is "veg out" and read or rest my children want to run and play and turn the living room into a gymnasium or playground. For some reason today I am extremely tired and sleepy. I got enough sleep. I even got to sleep in a little (until almost 7:30). Maybe I got too much sleep. Maybe that's the problem. Or maybe I am still catching up on sleep from the weekend which was quite busy. Whatever it is, I hope I have more energy this afternoon when the children will most definitely get their second wind!! |
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May. 11, 2009 The Joys of Play-Doh
| I am sitting in my rocking recliner watching the joy on the faces of my children and their father as they all play with a huge canister of Play-doh. What is it about Play-doh that brings such joy to children of all ages? Some might say it's the texture and tactile experience; others might say it is the smell; still others might say it is the ability to create and re-create things as many times as you want. I think for my kids it is the knowledge that Daddy likes to play right alongside them and has just as much fun with the stuff as they do! |
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| It's been a rough few weeks. Things have not been going smoothly at our house. I haven't yet "wrapped my brain" around everything that is happening. I am in a fog, and it has been hard to keep up with our school related work. I decided to just relax and just let the learning happen without being a slave to our curriculum. And, surprisingly, it has. The kids are surprising me at every turn. They have started directing their own studies a little more, and they are more "caught up" than I would have imagined. There are some things that have fallen by the wayside, but since we work year round, I am not worried about those things. I am continually amazed by my own children! And I am extremely proud of them! I just hope I tell them enough. |
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Feb. 1, 2009 Thank God for friends....
I was feeling a little down today for no particular reason. Then, one of my best friends from college, whom I rarely get to talk to, messaged me on Facebook with one of my favorite verses: Psalm 108:1. It helped me to stop and breath again...
In another note, I had a fright when a bird flew into my house! I am terrified of birds! (That stems from a goose flogging incident when I was younger.) My husband and kids got a good laugh at my expense because I completely lost it and went running through the house trying to get away from the bird--and it was just a finch (at least that's what we think it was--didn't really take the time to get the guide out to see)!
 the bird inside--Shannon took this while I was hiding! My 13-year-old holding the bird on the porch. I took this one through the window--it was when she came in that the bird decided to fly in too! |
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Jan. 27, 2009 Biblebee.org
My husband discovered something yesterday that we think has great potential to become an annual event. It's called Biblebee. It is a contest that tests both Bible memorization and Bible knowledge skills. This is the first year for this contest, and we thought it would be something that other homeschoolers might be interested in trying. The contest is for students aged 7-18 with three different age categories. There is a minimal entrance fee for contestants--I think it was $20 per person with a discount for families with multiple children interested in competing. Also, after competing at the local level the top 100 contestants nationwide go to a national competition with the potential to win monetary prizes if they finish in the top 3 in the nation! The website with information on the contest is here: Biblebee . I would be interested to know what others think about this contest.
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Jan. 15, 2009 Just One of THOSE Days
Do you ever have just one of THOSE days? You know the days where it seems as though every thing you touch turns to dust in your hands. The days where Murphy's Law becomes your personal bain of existence. Where your emotions are out of sync and your physical body is just too tired for you to move. Today is just one of THOSE days for me. I don't know if it's the winter blahs or what. I know I ache from head to toe--nothing unusual about that especially when there's a massive cold front coming through. I know I seem to be "wearing my feelings on my sleeve" today. I didn't feel this way yesterday--except for the achiness. Yesterday was a pretty decent day. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day than today.
I shouldn't be complaining. There are people who are suffering much more than I am. I know in my head that things could be much, much worse. I just wish I wasn't having one of THOSE days today. |
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Dec. 31, 2008 Is it really New Year's Eve already?
| Is it really the end of 2008? It seems like I was just getting used to writing that year on my checks, and here we are at a New Year again. It seems that this year flew by me while I wasn't looking. I am looking forward to 2009, don't get me wrong, but where did 2008 go? I think that the older you get, the faster time seems to move. It seems that there are so many things that are left undone. Time to start looking forward instead of backward. What will 2009 hold? I certainly don't know, but I can't wait to find out! |
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Dec. 24, 2008 Wow! What a Surprise!
First of all, MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I hope everyone is having a very blessed holiday. I know I certainly am. It is a tradition for my husband, children, and I to exchange gifts with each other on Christmas Eve. I thought I had really done great when I got a video game for my hubby that he was really wanting and absolutely loves! Then, I got the surprise of a lifetime when I opened my gift from him. He got me this great laptop that I am now using to blog! Boy was I surprised! We have been having computer troubles for approximately a month or so, and I haven't been able to blog. Now I can with no problem! Thanks, Honey!
Have a very blessed holiday. I will blog again sometime after the festivities are over! |
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Nov. 18, 2008 MawMaw's Surgery is tomorrow!
Well, tomorrow is the big day for my mother-in-law's surgery. It was originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m., but the doctor called her today and asked if she would come to the hospital early. She is now scheduled for a 7:30 a.m. surgery. Originally, Shan and I were going to arrive at the hospital around 10:00 a.m., and have plenty of time to see his mom before she went to the O.R. Now, we will be arriving around 6:00 or 6:30 a.m., and we hope we will make it in time to see her before she goes to the O.R. At least we only have to go about an hour away! Thank goodness my dad was willing and able to come to our house that early in the morning to sit with the girls.
We have done our best to prepare our girls for the fact that MawMaw is having surgery(without letting them know how serious her condition is), and that she will have restrictions when she comes home from the hospital. I know they are extremely concerned for her and don't really understand what is going on. I just hope they don't misbehave tomorrow while they are with my dad.
Well, I guess I had better leave the computer for the night and get things ready for tomorrow morning. It is the plan to make things as easy for my dad as we can, so I had better get busy or I'll never get any sleep tonight! |
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Nov. 17, 2008 "Mommy, Jesus Took the Wheel!"
| Do you ever wonder how much your young children really listen when you talk to them about Jesus? Well, I had an unusual opportunity to find out exactly how much my kids listen yesterday morning on our way to church. We were traveling our usual route when suddenly a car pulled directly out in front of us. And I mean DIRECTLY out in front of us--I didn't even have time to apply the brakes before I had to decide how to react! I swerved, and thankfully the other driver realized I was swerving and managed to stop! I got around the car, but the action threw my Trailblazer into the parking lot the other car had come from, and we realized that we were heading directly toward a parked car! I had no choice but to swerve again and thankfully managed to get my car back onto the road and under control. Needless to say, it was quite a terrifying experience for everyone in my car. I was indeed grateful for God's protection and for the defensive driving skills I had learned when first learning to drive! How I managed to stay calm and think was a miracle in and of itself! After we had traveled a small distance away, Olivia (our 3 year old) said, "Mommy, we just listened to that song, and guess what? Jesus took the wheel!" And yes, He certainly did! |
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Nov. 7, 2008 Birthdays, and Birthdays, and Christmas, OH MY!
Here it is the seventh day of November, and we are in the midst of what I jokingly call "Birthday Season." We have 12 birthdays to celebrate between October 19th and December 20th. It was 11 until little Makenna was born this year. We have already celebrated my little brother's, my mom's and little Olivia's. Today is my brother-in-law's(Makenna's dad).
Perhaps the one I look forward to/dread the most this year is my oldest daughter Lindsay's. She is entering a new stage of her life. She will be 13 on Sunday. I don't know if I'm ready for a teenager yet! Not that anyone can ever truly be ready for a teenager I guess. Isn't it funny how you can still remember waiting for the arrival of your little ones even when they are 13(or older)? It's almost like time stands still for a little while or just jumps ahead. For me, at least, it seems like only yesterday I was changing Lindsay's diapers. Yet here she is, on the threshold of a whole new stage of life. She is growing and changing every single day. Thank God I have the wonderful opportunity to have her home with me every day, so I don't miss a thing! She is very excited about her birthday. I really am too (don't tell her, though  ). Her excitement is contagious! Truth be told, I enjoy watching my children grow and change. It can be a little bittersweet, but still it's a great joy.
After Lindsay's birthday, we have 2 more just in our household between now and Christmas. My husband's is November 13th. Kalyssa's is the 28th. That's just here at home. We also have my brother's, another brother-in-law, my mother-in-law, and our niece. Then, we have Christmas. OH MY!
Why does it seem that perfectly normal, typically well-adjusted children seem to go insane at Christmas time? Some of my children become very gift oriented. Some years I think I can't afford my own children! Perhaps it has something to do with the influx of toy catalogs recently. Perhaps it has something to do with everyone (grandparents, etc.) asking them what they would like to receive for Christmas. I try to keep the focus on Christ and on giving to others--I don't just mean other family members--we participate in the local can-a-thon and the Salvation Army Angel Tree project. It just seems that no matter how hard I try, the kids want more and more and more every year--even though they don't actually get it! Don't get me wrong--my kids know WHY we have Christmas, but they just seem to also become more materialistic at this time of year. I truly desire a Christ-centered, simple Christmas celebration. Any ideas on how to achieve that ideal in today's materialistic world?
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Oct. 30, 2008 Why Aren't You Asleep?
| Olivia (3) has had a bit of a hard time sleeping lately. Sometimes she wakes in the middle of the night with a nightmare; sometimes she just has a hard time getting to sleep. Tonight it is the latter. So, Shannon asks her, "Olivia, why are you awake?" And her response is, "Because I can't go to sleeeeeep." For some reason, I found this response to be just hilarious. I mean she had the most serious look on her face and the word sleep had about 5 syllables by the time she finished saying it. It was almost like she was saying, "Gee, Daddy, isn't it obvious?" |
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Today is going to be a laid back kind of day. We are going to be reading from Joel Chandler Harris's Uncle Remus. My husband and the girls watched Disney's Song of the South last night while I was at a meeting, and it sparked an interest in several different areas. I had to study Harris's work in college, and still have the book and all of my notes, so I decided to use that as part of our extended study. The younger girls just love the Brer Rabbit and Brer Bear stories. Lindsay seems to be interested in the historical background for the setting of the story (the part about Uncle Remus, not Brer Rabbit). I don't know why I didn't think of pulling this stuff out before. Leave it to Shan to have a great idea that sparks lots of interest for the girls! Who knows where this will eventually lead, but I'm going to "strike while that iron is hot"!
I know this particular choice for literature has been somewhat controversial in recent years. I have never been one to believe that we should shove a part of our history or literature into the closet to be hidden. I think it is relevant to who we have become as individuals as well as who we have become as a country. I remember when we were required to study this particular work in college that we were told we would probably not be allowed to teach it, but that it was still important to study it. So, here I am about to teach it!
I guess the truly amazing thing about this new vane of study is that it was my hubby's idea. He tends to lean more toward the "school at home" arena of homeschooling while I have always wanted to be more delight driven. I want the girls to have a good foundation in math and language arts (grammar, spelling, writing, reading), but I want to be more laid back with history and science and even with our choices for literature. I want the girls to have a good knowledge base in each of those subjects, but I just feel like they will only be kids once and I would rather them be educated than "schooled". I'm sure that makes sense to the people here at Homeschoolblogger, but making some of the people in our lives understand it is another matter to be tackled another day. |
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Oct. 29, 2008 Update, A Baby and A Birthday
It's been a little while since I've been able to blog. Life took over--which is probably as it should be. The last time I blogged I requested prayer, so first I'll give you an update on both my friend and my mother-in-law.
Our friend finally got released from the hospital. He is now recuperating at home. He says he is getting stronger every day. We are all still praying for a speedy recovery.
My mother-in-law came through her biopsy okay. She has been diagnosed with thymoma. She will undergo surgery to remove her thyroid which will be followed by a 5 day stay in the hospital and a 6 week recovery period. We do not have a date for the surgery yet, but we are praying they will schedule it soon, so she can be on the road to recovery. She seems to have a pretty good outlook now that she knows what she is facing.
Now, for the life taking over part. My sister gave birth to her first baby on Sunday, October 26th at 1:56 p.m. She was in labor for 16 hours to get little Makenna Claire into this world. Makenna weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long. We are all very excited to have her here. This is the first baby in my family (besides my girls), so my girls are extremely excited that Aunt Holly's baby is here!
My little Olivia celebrated her third birthday yesterday. I find myself wondering where the time has gone. It seems like only yesterday I was anxiously awaiting her arrival.
Olivia seemed to have a great day! Her sisters treated her like a princess all day. They even did her share of the chores for her! Everybody called to wish her a happy birthday which she really loved because she doesn't get to talk on the phone very often. Then, my parents came over to share cake with her--she told Nana that it was a cake for both of them to share. (Nana's birthday was Monday. We have been jokingly calling Makenna and Olivia her bookends.) She and Nana have also decided that from now on they will share their party with Makenna--which thrills Olivia because now she isn't the baby! She has been asking for weeks now if she is a big girl. Of course, we have been telling her that she is. We took lots of pictures, so hopefully I can upload some in the next couple of days.
Well, it's time to get going with today's schoolwork. So, I better get away from this machine and go enjoy my girls! |
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Oct. 15, 2008 Update......
Well, it was an extremely long day today. My husband and I spent the day at the hospital. Good news is his mom is doing well after surgery. They even let her have real food for dinner (which really surprised and thrilled her)! The doctor says that he expects her to go home in the morning. We won't get the results from the biopsy for another two days though. So, we still have to wait awhile longer, but we are very relieved that surgery went well with no complications. We are still praying for good results from the biopsy.
In other good news it appears that our friend will also be able to go home in the morning. He still has a very long road ahead of him, but we are so glad to hear that he is about to leave the hospital. We managed to stop by and see him while waiting on my mother-in-law to come out of the recovery room this afternoon. He was in a little more pain today because they are weaning him off his pain medication, but he still has a good outlook. Prayers for his continued progress toward complete recovery are definitely still appreciated.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in praying for them both. |
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Oct. 14, 2008 Goodbye soccer, Hello new crisis
It seems like the only times I get a chance to add an entry to my blog are the times when I am asking for prayer. Perhaps that is just when I am reminded that there is a whole network of people out there that I tend to neglect when things get busy around home. Often, if we have had a day filled with activity I completely forget that I even have this blog, or that I can "talk" about my frustrations or anxieties or whatever. I usually just decide to fall into bed exhausted and oblivious to the outside world. This is what has contributed to my long absence from my blog.
We had a very hectic soccer season. I never imagined how difficult it would be transporting three children to games and practices as well as coaching. There were many evenings when we got home so late that all we could do was eat(if we didn't grab something on the way in) and then pass out from exhaustion. Thankfully, soccer is over for this year. Hopefully soon things can calm down, and we can resume the regular routine that we all love and crave!
We are now in the midst of the next crisis. I say crisis because it is indeed a health related crisis for my mother-in-law. About two weeks ago doctors found a spot on her lung. After numerous tests they have decided that the spot is some kind of tumor. At first she was told that it would be removed and then biopsied. Now, she has been told that the location of the tumor is such that it cannot be removed. She goes in for surgery tomorrow to have a biopsy done. The doctors have told her that there is a chance that the tumor will just be a pocket filled with infection--that's best case. Worst case, she is facing cancer with high powered radiation and chemotherapy. We obviously are praying for best case. She tends to be pessimistic about things though and has pretty much decided for herself that she thinks it is cancer. She is even talking about canceling all holiday related activities this year because she has decided that she thinks she will be too sick. I am asking for as many prayers as I can get because I know both the power of words and the power of prayer, and I firmly believe it is going to take prayer to overcome the power of her words.
Another reason I am requesting prayer is for a dear friend of ours. He was in a terrible motorcycle accident two weeks ago. He fell off his motorcycle and then was run over by another motorcycle. He is on the road to recovery, but he still has a long way to go. His recovery is made miraculous by the fact that he had several internal injuries that the first hospital almost didn't catch. They were about to send him home saying he only had a couple of broken ribs when something stopped them. The doctors say they don't know what made them take another look, but we all know that the "something" was God. And we are all very thankful for that because if he had been sent home we would probably have lost our friend. We have a whole network of people praying for our friend, but as he himself said, "The more people praying the better."
So, if you feel led to do so, please remember both my mother-in-law and our friend in your prayers. We are praying for a speedy recovery for them both.
Thanks. |
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Aug. 1, 2008 Trying to convince myself we don't NEED a bigger house!
We bought our house 3 years ago next week, and at the time it seemed to be a smart move as we were living with 2 bedrooms and baby number 4 was about to make her appearance on Earth. Now, three years, and four growing children later even this home seems SMALL!!! For one thing, we have only 1 bathroom and 4 children--all girls. For another, we have 3 bedrooms and 4 children--all girls. So, with all of the dolls, stuffed animals, and other things that little girls love, our house is beginning to feel quite cramped. And I haven't even mentioned all of the homeschooling supplies or my stuff or my husband's stuff. I knew then, and I "know" now that we could and can make our space work, but it's going to take exactly that: WORK!
I am currently trying to declutter, and it is not going as well as I had hoped. I threw out at least 4 bags of junk just yesterday because I am trying to convert our den into a playroom/classroom so that a) that room actually is more than wasted space and b) I can get the majority of our school supplies out of our dining room. Unfortunately, I am only about half done with the den project. After tackling the den, I want to start on the bedrooms. The goal was to get it done before we ended our summer break. Then life took over, and we didn't get nearly as much done this summer as we had hoped because it was waaaay more fun to run and play and cuddle with the girls. I read somewhere that "time you enjoyed wasting was not wasted". I seem to have taken that statement to heart this summer organizationally speaking. Now I have 2 days to meet the deadline I set for myself months ago, and it isn't looking too promising. Maybe my husband and children can help me finish up at least the den tomorrow, so that Sunday we can rest (except for the meeting with the homeschool group to discuss changes for the upcoming year).
Summer is almost over. My kids started begging two weeks ago to start "back to school" after we decided to take the summer off this year. I told them, "Let me get the den set up the way I want it first." My 6 year old, being the inquisitive soul that she is replied, "When EXACTLY will we start, Mom?" So, I, in a momentary lapse of sanity got the calendar and circled August 4th, and now my kids are all excitedly counting the days because they want school to start, and I am thinking, "What happened to the lazy days of summer?" Don't get me wrong, I really love teaching my kids, and we find "teachable moments" every single day, but I had really hoped to get several things accomplished this year that I simply have not gotten finished, and therein lies my conflict. That being said, a promise is a promise, and we WILL start our "official" school year on Monday even if things aren't the way I want them. I'm sure there is a lesson in all of this for Mom to learn. My own stubbornness is just keeping me from seeing it at the moment.
On a positive, less whiny note, all of my curriculum has already arrived except for one book (handwriting) that I forgot to order. At least that one is a subject that you don't absolutely HAVE to have a book in order to teach. Maybe I will just count that as a blessing, and have them copy scripture instead of ordering the program. |
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Jul. 26, 2008 Viruses are the pits!
| There is a really strange virus going around our area. The only symptom is a fever--that's all--just a high fever (102 or higher). Three of my four girls have had it this week. It started with Em. She had the highest fever and the hardest time with being sick in general. Then came Liv. Finally, it was Kalyssa's turn--she had the mildest case. I thought maybe it was over. I was wrong. Now it's my turn. I'm the most miserable I have been in a while. Understand my normal body temperature stays about a degree below everyone else's normal body temperature. My temperature hit 102 yesterday--meaning it would have been 103 for most people. The difference with me is that my sinus/allergy symptoms were already in play along with all the achy joints due to a strange weather system passing through the area. So, not only do I have my typical achiness and stuffiness, but also I have this new virus to contend with. All I can say is God bless the person who invented pain/fever relievers! |
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Jul. 26, 2008 Things are looking better!
| I have an update on our sweet little cousin. She has been to a doctor who specializes in problems with the optic nerve. He said he could see light along the nerve which tells him she will probably get at least some sight back. He thinks the problem originated with a case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever--something that had not been diagnosed before now. At least now her parents have hope for their precious little one's return to health. We are all still praying fervently for healing. Please continue to remember her with us. Thanks. |
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Jul. 14, 2008 Prayers Needed for a Sweet Little Girl and Her Mom
Yesterday started as a typical Sunday. We got up, ate breakfast, and got ready for church. After the church service, we went to my mother-in-law's house. Again, pretty typical since we live 30 minutes away from church and my mother-in-law is only about 5 minutes away.
My mother-in-law and I left her home and went to a family bridal shower. At the shower we were informed that one of my husband's cousins got bad news this past week. Her eight year old daughter woke up Thursday morning completely blind in one eye. They still do not know for sure what happened--only that she cannot see with her left eye. One doctor said he thinks the optic nerve is completely dead in that eye. Another one said he wanted to run tests to see if there might be a brain tumor. Our cousin is having a very hard time right now because of the suddenness of all of this. Her daughter had recently been treated for an abscessed tooth, but had otherwise been very healthy. We are all praying that they get some answers soon, and that our little cousin continues to have vision in her right eye while they wait on test results. We are also praying that the first doctor is wrong and that God will heal this little girl who, by the way, is taking it all in stride and living her life as if nothing has happened.
Please remember this little girl and her family in your prayers. Thanks. |
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